The Prince of Rebels
by Aign
Summary: Zuko dies at the hands of his sister. Somehow, he wakes up back on his ship, one year into his hunt for the Avatar. Determined to do all he can to end this war, he starts a rebellion against his own nation. But how useful will his knowledge of the future be if he's changing history at every step? Time Travel AU
1. The End

.

**生**

BOOK ONE:

**LIFE**

CHAPTER ONE:

**THE END**

.

Zuko always knew that the last face he saw would be his sister's.

Not that it provided any comfort to him as he went to dive in the path of comet-enhanced lightning.

"NO!" he shouted, as Katara looked on in horror.

He'd been winning this Agni Kai till he decided to goad his clearly mentally unstable sister into shooting cold-blooded fire. Which she did. Just at the wrong target.

Time slowed to a crawl as the bolt arced closer toward him, and his thoughts flooded with what-ifs. What if he joined the Avatar sooner? What if he didn't betray his uncle in Ba Sing Se? What if he realized who he was from the start, and never took to his father's - no - _Ozai's_ words of regaining his honor?

His eyes flickered to Azula. To anyone else, her maddened visage was set in a vicious snarl, but somehow Zuko could tell she was on the verge of tears. A memory flashed in front of him then, of a boy comforting his baby sister during a particularly nasty thunderstorm.

She used to be scared of lightning.

What if he could've saved her?

These plus a million others - every decision, every mistake he ever made - ran through his mind. But as the lightning pierced his heart, one thought rang clear above all else, as everything went white.

'_I wish I could've done things differently.'  
_

* * *

"NEPHEW! What happened?! Are you alright?!"

For a while, all Zuko felt was pure agony. A sensation of _burning_ all over his body, especially over a certain scar on his face. If it was penance for the life he lived, it was still too cruel.

He didn't know how long he spent suffering in that white void, but eventually he began to hear a noise that got louder and louder.

He realized he was screaming.

It wasn't until he heard his uncle's worried voice that his eyes snapped open, and his screaming died down to ragged breaths. The pain had subsided.

His uncle Iroh, his true family, was looking over him with worry evident in his features. With that, Zuko's breath slowly steadied, and his eyes scanned his surroundings. There were small fires scattered haphazardly around the steel room. Iroh quickly flicked his wrists up and down, putting them out instantly.

The scene was an unlikely occurrence. Firebending in your sleep only happened when you lacked control, or if you were under emotional distress. Zuko hadn't had an incident this bad since the night he was banished, one whole year ago.

'Wait a minute. _One_ year ago?'

"Nephew, what happened?" Iroh interrupted his train of thought. Seeing that his nephew has calmed down, he repeated his earlier question in a gentler tone.

"I'm fine, uncle. I just… had a nightmare," Zuko answered, almost reflexively.

'Nightmare? No, that isn't quite right.'

He searched his memories up to this point, and found that they made _no sense_. Last week he set a course for a port town in the Earth Kingdom; a resupply run so as to continue his hunt for the Avatar. But _yesterday_ he was fighting his sister for the crown. And he _died_.

'This is so confusing.'

"Prince Zuko… I know this past year has been taxing, and you have had to shoulder so much at such a young age," Iroh started, regret colouring his voice. "I ask that you rely on your uncle to help carry some of your burdens."

Zuko blinked. He vaguely recalled hearing a speech similar to this, on the one year anniversary of his banishment.

Which was… today?

'Like I said, confusing!'

More importantly, he recalled himself reacting with an angry outburst to what he thought was pity, and cringed internally.

"Thank you, uncle." Zuko looked his uncle in the eyes and gave him a small smile. "I... value your counsel more than you know."

Now it was Iroh's turn to blink in surprise. He had expected a strong refusal of his help. Resigned himself to it almost. He knew that his nephew was independent, stubborn, and _angry_, and that he had every right to be. But the way his nephew conveyed those words with such sincere gratitude, despite being in so much pain…

In reality, while Zuko had changed, he was also actively avoiding recreating the outburst he saw in his head, making his delivery a little stiff.

"I will be in my quarters until we reach the port, if you need me." Iroh smiled back, and went to leave the room with those words.

As soon as the door closed, Zuko jumped out of the bed with urgency.

'I'm on the ship? Uncle said that it's been a year since my banishment.'

While his thoughts raced, his body was zipping around inspecting every inch of his old room, as if to verify that he was actually there.

'But then… what are all these memories?'

He stilled for a moment, and his eyes drifted back to his bed where he was writhing just moments ago.

'Was any of it real?'

* * *

"ALL HANDS! PREPARE TO DOCK!"

The shout from Lieutenant Jee was heard loud and clear to all on the deck. Zuko stood by his uncle as they approached the port of the small town. To the rest of the crew, he seemed different. As in, he wasn't scowling at everyone and shouting orders unnecessarily. In fact, he almost looked rattled.

Well, better for everyone not to get involved with whatever was going on with the prince. Nobody wanted the brat to go back to throwing tantrums at them.

Little did they know how shaken he really was.

'I feel like I've done this already.'

Zuko had no idea how to act while witnessing events he was _sure_ he's seen before, so he just stood there awkwardly, trying to make sense of it.

'Maybe this is all a coincidence, and I just had a really weird dream. A really long, detailed, _extremely accurate _dream.'

He wandered through the port town with his uncle by his side, his thoughts still clearly anywhere but the present moment. Eventually, they came to the merchant street. Stores lined both sides of the stone pavement, and people were bustling about as they went on with their day.

The prince was still silent as the two entered the general goods store. Usually, Zuko would begin negotiations in his usual impatient and hot-headed way, while Iroh tried to calm him down. This time, Iroh had to completely take over bartering duty, given his nephew's absent-mindedness. Zuko's eyes were darting about, analyzing everything, even twisting his body around to look at the people on the street behind them.

Frankly, he looked paranoid and suspicious.

'Prince Zuko... He must be reliving that moment again. Today marks one year, after all...' Iroh thought sadly, completely oblivious to the fact that Zuko was reliving his past far more literally.

'The total is gonna come out to 9 gold and 20 silver pieces.'

"That'll be... 9 gold and 20 silver pieces," the sleepy looking merchant drawled out

'That girl is about to slap her boyfriend for sleeping with her sister.'

"How dare you?! With my SISTER?!" **SLAP.**

'And that kid is going to trip on a rock somehow, even though he's an earthbender.'

"Ow!"

"Poi! Be more careful!"

"Sorry mom. Sometimes I forget that I'm an earthbender! Hahaha!"

"Hohoho!"

"Hahaha!"

'GIVE ME A BREAK.'

It wasn't as if Zuko had a photographic memory, although it wasn't bad. This was just a day he played back often in his mind. The one year mark of his exile. If he was asked on the spot about this day, he definitely couldn't tell you all these trivial details, but actually _living through it again_ did a lot to jog his memory.

'Okay. Not just a coincidence. A vision from the spirits maybe?'

He nearly buckled, clutching his chest as a sudden sharp shock struck him, as if to deny that line of thought. An image of his sister, two fingers pointed out towards him, appeared in his vision.

'Too real. _Way_ too real.' Sweat broke out on his face as he realized the reality of the situation. 'Then… I actually died? And I got sent back.'

"Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked worriedly, seeing his nephew in such a state.

Zuko took a deep breath, and righted himself.

"I'm fine, uncle."

With his thoughts in the present moment, his eyes finally caught the gazes being directed at them from the people at this port. Gazes of barely disguised disdain.

Fear. Hate. Rage.

Zuko's heart clenched again, now for a different reason. The feelings of people toward the Fire Nation, they remained the same as last time too. Apparently it showed on his face, as his uncle noticed the looks directed at them as well, and sighed.

This time, Iroh was actually right about what ailed his nephew.

* * *

"Man, I don't know why Prince Zuko was acting so skittish today."

"Isn't it a good thing? Don't question it."

"Far better than having to deal with his usual royal pain-in-the-ass self!"

"I'll drink to that!"

They laughed boisterously as they drank their cheap ale. It was the late evening of the same day, and a few of the crew retreated to the belly of the ship to unwind, as they sometimes did. They ended up venting to each other about the spoiled prince.

"Who knows how long this'll last though."

"Hah! I betcha by tomorrow he'll go back to yelling at us for no reason."

"All in his mad hunt for the Avatar. Who does he think he is, anyway?"

The last remark was uttered by a discontent Lieutenant Jee. As the captain of the ship, he was often the target of the prince's ire.

"Would you like to know?"

An old, weary voice cut through the atmosphere of the room, as the other voices all went silent. All that could be heard was the low crackling of the small fire the crew was surrounding. Their eyes were now all locked on the new entrant.

"General Iroh, sir!" Jee was the first to snap up after a moment, with the rest of the present crew following soon after. He wanted to say 'we meant no disrespect' but there was no way he could tell such a blatant lie to the esteemed Dragon of the West, especially when he seemed to have overheard everything.

"Would you mind if I joined you? It has been a long day after all," the general calmly replied. Seeing that they had not incurred his wrath, the crew hesitantly settled back into their seats.

"Of course," Jee said.

Iroh sat down on a box in between Jee and the engine room operator of the ship, before he repeated his early question.

"Would you like to know? Who Prince Zuko really is."

Seeing his sorrowful expression, the crew could only nod, and Iroh began to tell the story of his nephew.

A story he _should've _told almost two years later.

* * *

Meanwhile, Zuko was on the deck of the ship, leaning on the railing as he watched the shimmering of the water.

They were still docked at the port. Some of the men retired within the ship for the night. The younger and livelier soldiers were still out in the town, no doubt drinking themselves under the table. The faint sounds of people just barely reached Zuko's ears.

Men heading home from work. Teens roughhousing. Children running about.

All of whom hate the Fire Nation.

'Not that I blame them.'

After coming to terms with what happened to him, Zuko and Iroh continued making their way from stall to stall on the market street, resupplying on what they needed and - if the new tsungi horn his uncle returned to the ship with was any indication - also what they _didn't_ need.

Though it was pretty clear even to Zuko that his uncle's antics this time around were to try and cheer him up. He'd been strangely quiet during their shopping spree, and Iroh had just been trying to get a lively reaction from his nephew that seemed so distressed. After all, everywhere they went, looks of despise followed their forms. And it seemed Zuko was distinctly aware of it this time.

Now that the day was just about over, Zuko found the time to reflect.

'In the end, whether it was a vision or actually happened, doesn't matter. What matters is that it's real.'

The events of today confirmed that. Everything played out like he thought it would, barring his own behaviour.

Which meant that there was still a lot of war to go.

He was so _tired_. All his life, all he knew was war. His head hung down, and he looked at his reflection in the waters below.

'Figures that I got another chance, but was sent back to _after_ I got this.'

His hand went up to brush against the leathery scar tissue on the left side of his face. If this was the work of the spirits, couldn't they have sent him back a little earlier?

Though nothing was ever easy for Zuko. So he wasn't too outraged about it. In fact, it would be weird if he _didn't_ have to live with his mark.

Ruminating on his past like he had been today, his regrets weighed heavy on his frame.

'There's so much to do…'

His head shot up. His eyes glinted with determination.

'So much that I _can _do. So much that I can change.'

He knew exactly what was going to happen, and when. He could help end this war. But where would he even start? He was a prince in exile, banished in disgrace, with less than 30 men under his command. What could he do?

'There's only one place to start.'

He straightened, and made his way inside the ship.

'I have to talk to uncle.'


	2. A New Beginning

_**A.N.** Thanks for the great response. This is basically my first time doing creative writing so I really appreciate it._

_With this chapter, I'd like to emphasize that this is not an OC story (not that there's anything wrong with those). Any OC's will serve a narrative purpose in what is definitively a Zuko story._

_I've spent a bit of time planning ahead the rough outline of events to come, and I hope you enjoy the ride._

.

**生**

BOOK ONE:

**LIFE**

CHAPTER TWO:

**A NEW BEGINNING**

.

As Zuko walked through the ship's narrow corridors, he noticed that a few rooms were unusually empty. Including his uncle's.

'Okay, what is happening here?'

Confirming that the elderly general wasn't in his quarters, Zuko continued stalking the halls to try and find him. The banished prince had always had unnaturally good hearing, part of why he took so well to being stealthy, and he used it now to get closer to the murmuring he could just barely pick up coming from deeper within the ship.

It was only when he was in front of a closed door to a disused room that he could actually make out what they were saying, and it made his hand freeze halfway through reaching out to the lock wheel that would open it.

* * *

Jee had expected to be reprimanded. Not only were he and the crew shirking duties by slinking off into some forgotten corner of the ship, but General Iroh himself had heard them bad mouth his nephew.

The last thing he expected was the story he was hearing now. The story of how Zuko came to be burdened with his journey in the first place. From the looks on the rest of the crew's faces, they were sharing the same thoughts he had.

All of this... because a young prince wished to save the lives of his countrymen...

"My nephew fell to his knees, pleading with his father not to fight him. 'I meant you no disrespect. I am your loyal son.' Even now, I can remember the fear in his voice."

Iroh paused. The crew could see that his vision was far away, eyes clouded in remorse. After a while, Jee finally prodded.

"What happened next?"

"...My brother would not listen. He placed his hand over Prince Zuko's face, and he said, 'You will learn respect -"

"And suffering will be your teacher."

A hoarse voice completed the horrifying sentence. Everyone in the room quickly turned to its source. Far from the firelight, all they could see was a silhouette and a scar.

"Nephew…" Iroh whispered out. He was between mortification at being caught telling this personal story, and concern over the boy who stood there. Much more the latter.

Zuko let out a breath, and walked forward into the light. The crew looked with pity at the damaged boy, their gazes all drawn to the left side of his face.

"I… All this time, I thought it was a training accident."

That was all Jee could say. He felt ashamed. To think that Zuko's own father did that to him, yet all this time he had laughed with the crew about how clumsy Zuko must've been. That the reason why Zuko was so fervent in his practice of firebending everyday was to get over his embarrassment. How wrong he was.

"I know." Zuko said quietly. Now it was Jee who was mortified.

"Why didn't you say anything?!"

"It doesn't matter."

The sharp glare with which Zuko delivered those words sat Jee back down as he made to stand up.

"Now you know. Retire to your rooms. I wish to speak to my uncle."

"Prince Zuko, General Iroh did not mean-"

"Alone, lieutenant."

Zuko spoke a little more harshly than he intended. He could be forgiven though, given what they were talking about. Jee was worried that the prince's wrath would be taken out on the old general, but with Iroh's nod, he and the rest of the crew left the room without any more words.

Once they were all gone and far enough away from the two that they wouldn't overhear anything, Iroh spoke, truly apologetic.

"I am sorry for sharing your story without your permission, nephew. I thought it best that they know, but I had no right."

"It's fine, uncle," Zuko breathed out, holding back a shudder.

"It is?"

Iroh expected Zuko to be furious. Of course, Zuko _was _bothered. Those memories were still painful, after all, and they didn't even talk about the worst of it. What followed after Ozai's words. Iroh hadn't watched, he couldn't, but even to this day, he could hear his nephew's screams hauntingly clear in his ears.

But right now, Zuko had more pressing matters to attend to.

"More importantly, I have something I need to tell you."

Zuko walked around to sit in the seat across from his uncle. Iroh could see that Zuko was struggling with what he wanted to say.

'What could be bothering him? How could it be more difficult than the memory of his banishment?'

"What is it, nephew?" he asked with an angelic smile. Whatever it was, he would help the prince resolve it with patience and understanding, as he always did.

Finally, Zuko shrugged his shoulders, giving up on finding a good way to explain things. He looked as grim as he had ever been as he looked his uncle straight in the eyes.

"Uncle, I've travelled through time. From the future."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Iroh's angelic smile faltered.

'Ah. He's lost his mind.'

"Prince Zuko, I know that it has been a long and tiring day, and we have touched upon some distressing memories," Iroh began carefully as he stood up and went to his delusional nephew. "Perhaps it would be best to follow the rest of the crew and return to our rooms."

"What? Uncle, are you listening to me? I'm saying I'm from another time!" Zuko had to stand to shake off his uncle's hand that tried to guide him in the direction of the door.

"Yes, yes. In some ways, we are all lost in time. Very wise, nephew. Now, a man needs his rest."

"I'm being serious!"

"I'm being serious too, nephew! You _cannot _allow the deterioration of your mind. It is your greatest weapon, sharper than any sword!" Iroh said while pointing a finger up, as though he was giving a profound lesson.

Zuko just blinked as he processed what his uncle was saying.

"...You think I've gone crazy?"

"You haven't?"

"No! Look, just, just sit. I'll show you."

Zuko placed his hands on his uncle's shoulders and sat him back down. Iroh watched with skepticism as Zuko began performing some firebending forms. As he gracefully moved from one stance to another, the fire in between them pulsed like a beating heart, steadily growing as if reacting to the call of the motions.

Iroh's skepticism morphed into disbelief.

No one but him and the Sun Warriors should know about the Dancing Dragon.

Iroh shot up as Zuko finished, and grasped him by the arms at his sides.

"Tell me _everything_."

* * *

The fire in the middle of the room was only barely burning now, having consumed most of the wood placed there to feed it.

Zuko spent the past few hours recounting the entire story. From Aang's awakening in the South Pole, to his mad chase against Zhao, to the Siege of the North. Then, their lives as fugitives in the Earth Kingdom. Their time in Ba Sing Se. The defeat of the Avatar and his return home. The events of the eclipse. Joining the Avatar. Sozin's Comet. And finally, his death.

"And that's basically it."

It's been a few moments now since Zuko has finished speaking. They sat in silence, Zuko anxiously waiting as his uncle absorbed all the information he's just been given. What would he think? What would he say? Zuko has made so many mistakes. He wanted to believe that his uncle at this point in time would understand, like the uncle he knew in his past life, but he had no guarantee of that. What if the Iroh in front of him now didn't-

"Nephew."

Finally, Iroh decided on what to say, cutting off Zuko's rambling thoughts. He smiled at the boy before him.

"Despite all of the adversity you've had to face, you found your own way. You fought with honour for what was right until the very end. I am so, so proud of you, Prince Zuko."

"Uncle…"

Zuko definitely sounded weird choking that out through his feelings at hearing his uncle's words. The words that he had always wanted to hear. His previous worries seemed silly now. This uncle was the same uncle Zuko had always known, the one who has always stayed by his side. But remembering where he was, he looked down with a wry smile.

"Everything I've gone through… It's like none of it even happened."

"No, Prince Zuko. They did happen. Because of them, you have become the beautiful prince you were always meant to be. Now ahead of schedule!" he added jovially. "The only question that remains is, what will you do now?"

Not an easy question to answer. There were so many factors to consider, and so many possibilities in front of them to take. With Zuko's knowledge of events to come, they could make a huge difference in this war. Hopefully, it wouldn't turn out the same as last time. Zuko unconsciously moved his hand to his heart.

Before he could answer though, they heard loud noises coming from above them. Which was odd, considering how late it was. They both rushed out of the room to see what was causing the disturbance.

As they made their way above deck, Zuko couldn't help but feel a little guilty. As he was telling his story, he could see his uncle's facial expressions shift from one emotion to the other. So he left one part out. He couldn't bring himself to say the words that would inform his uncle of his past betrayal. He couldn't tell his uncle about _that _moment, in the crystal catacombs underneath Ba Sing Se. He couldn't bear to see that face again.

'He doesn't need to know. He won't _ever _need to know.'

Zuko wouldn't make a mistake like that again. Not in this lifetime.

* * *

It was the dead of night in the port town, and most people were already preparing for bed. Only the light of a few remaining lanterns on the pier and within a few houses illuminated the streets. Yet, right by the pier, trouble was brewing.

"I don't think we should be doing this, guys."

Crowded around a small, geriatric woman were a few Fire Nation soldiers. Among them, a soldier with shoulder-length black hair was trying to talk the others out of starting something.

"Shut it, Shen. We've gotta teach this old lady a lesson in manners. Ain't that right boys?"

""That's right! Ahaha!""

Regretfully, they were the soldiers who went out drinking from Zuko's crew. Needless to say, their faculties weren't all there. They were a bunch of burly dudes ganging up on the elderly, after all. Despite the situation, the woman did not back down, insulting them while waving her cane.

"You Fire Nation scum! This used to be a nice town! Before your ilk came and trampled all over it!"

She actually started it. Seeing the soldiers making a ruckus in public when everyone was trying to sleep, she called them some choice words. As some people age, they become too old to care about consequences. Or maybe this lady always had a defiant personality, growing up through the early stages of the Hundred Year War. Regardless, it didn't look like it was going to end well for her here.

"I'm telling you to _back off_."

Shen shoved his fellow soldier away from the woman. The soldier shoved back.

"And I'm telling _you_ that this earth peasant has no right calling us 'scum!'"

From within the windows of the houses, a few heads peeked out at the situation, yet all were too afraid to get involved. The prospect of retaliation from the firebenders was enough to keep them rooted in place. All except one of them.

"Hey! Get away from her, Fire Nation!"

"Poi, no! Get back inside!"

It was the young earthbender who had barely any talent. He ran outside his house to confront the soldiers, too young to realize the gravity of what he was doing. His mother stumbled after him and fell at the doorway, reaching out her hand as her only son left the safety of their home. Poi struggled as he lifted a small stone at his feet with his bending and weakly chucked it at the back of one of the soldier's heads. It bounced harmlessly off of the military helmet.

The group turned towards the child. The soldier who was hit stalked towards Poi, sporting a malicious grin.

"What was that, brat?"

"I-I said, g-g-get away from, her…"

Poi's voice quivered, and got quieter and quieter as the soldier got closer.

"You know what we're supposed to do with earthbenders like you, right?"

The soldier grabbed the child by the shirt, and a flame ignited in his other hand. Poi squeaked.

"NO! POI!" his mother screamed out.

"Are you serious?! He's just a kid!" Shen tried to get between the soldier and the child, but was held back by the others.

"That's right. And kids need to learn _discipline_."

Poi was frozen in fear. His mother started to sob. The other residents of the town couldn't bear to watch. They turned their eyes away, frustrated that they couldn't do anything to stop this.

"Leave them alone."

The strong voice that cut through the scene belonged to none other than the banished prince, who strode down the pier straight at the group before stopping right in front of the soldiers. Behind him, Iroh watched on.

"Ohh, Prince Zuko!" the soldier slurred. Seeing the appearance of his commanding officer, he dropped Poi's shirt and the boy fell to the ground. The other soldiers also turned toward Zuko, letting go of the one he heard them call Shen, but they didn't direct any respect to the prince.

"We were just teaching these earth peasants their place. Nothing wrong with that right?" the soldier who spoke continued with an easy attitude, now facing Zuko. "It's standard protocol for any earthbenders we see to be dealt with, after all."

"You are a disgrace to the Fire Nation. You _will _apologize."

The soldiers were surprised by Zuko's steely declaration. Mostly not pleasantly so. The one in front of Zuko frowned threateningly.

"And what if we don't follow that order, _sir_?" the soldier asked, spitting the last word out as if it tasted foul.

"You don't want to find out," Zuko snarled back.

Both sides tensed.

Zuko sidestepped the fire punch that flew at his head, before driving his fist into his assailant's solar plexus. He fell with a thud, and from behind him another soldier made to tackle Zuko while letting out a battlecry. Zuko used his momentum against him though, and flipped him over his shoulder. The soldier landed roughly on his back and couldn't react in time to the swift chop to the neck Zuko dropped down to administer.

As Zuko rose from his position, another fiery fist nearly collided with his face, but the body attached to said fist was pulled back before it could connect. Zuko saw Shen take advantage of the staggered opponent by throwing a swift jab at his nose, and he crumpled to the ground. The impact made Shen wince and shake off his punching hand.

"Thanks," Zuko said, before his eyes widened. He quickly dragged Shen out of the way of a blast of fire, dispelling it with the motion of his own arm. A few more shots came his way and Zuko dispelled those in a similar fashion before firing back with a side kick. The fireball that shot out of his foot crashed into the attacking soldier, sending him into a wall.

"Same," Shen blinked. Zuko smirked, before scrunching his eyebrows as a thought hit him.

'A little slow.'

Zuko's thought wasn't referring to his opponents, but rather himself. If it was him from the time of Sozin's Comet, it should've been possible to shift stances quickly enough to flow into that kick after he dispelled the first shot. The body he has right now is lacking two years of practice and conflict.

'Something I have to fix.'

Around them, four of Zuko's men laid unconscious. There were scorch marks in some places on the pavement where things got heated, literally, and Poi was still frozen on the ground.

'Among other things.'

Zuko approached the young boy, reaching out a hand.

"Are you alright?"

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"

He barely got the question out before Poi's mother ran out of her house and grabbed her child. She gave Zuko a hateful glare and Zuko stepped back as if _he_ had been burned.

From her perspective, her son was on the floor, paralyzed by fear in front of a powerful firebender. The thought stung Zuko more than any hit he could've received in that fight. They hurriedly made their way back inside, the boy leaning on his mother as he still found it difficult to move his legs.

Nearby, Shen similarly had his concerned hand slapped away by the old woman's cane, who began walking away displeased.

"Monsters, the lot of you."

With that, the denizens of the town who were watching with reproachful gazes all turned away. Put out their lamps. Closed their doors. The street was now silent.

They had won this fight, but both Zuko and Shen looked defeated.

Zuko turned to Shen after a moment. "Could you help me get these four back onto the ship?"

"Y-Yeah. Of course, sir."

As they dragged the four bodies across the pier towards their vessel, the armour roughly clunking against the uneven wooden planks, Shen asked the prince a question that's been bothering him since the start of the fight.

"Why now?"

"What?"

"These guys have been harassing people at every port. You never stopped them then. Why get involved now?"

Zuko didn't know how to respond. Was he really so obsessed in his hunt for the Avatar that he didn't even notice his own men doing something so deplorable?

He gritted his teeth. He already knew the answer to that question.

"I know better now," he bit out.

Shen said nothing more as they got onto the ship. Iroh had watched what unfolded with a sad expression at its ending, but along with him now were the rest of the ship's crew, all some thirty of them. They were woken up by the noise and kept up by curiosity. Why was the prince acting so differently today? They were expecting answers. The few that heard the story from Iroh however, showed sympathy rather than curiosity.

The blacked out bodies of the four troublemakers were leaned against the ship's railing, and Shen made his way to stand beside the rest of the crew. Zuko, on the other hand, stood next to his uncle, facing his men.

"What happened?" Lieutenant Jee came forward and asked.

"It's as you saw. These four were picking fights with old people and children."

"Those unruly brats. I've been telling them not to cause too much trouble, but they never listen. I'll make them wish they were never born in training drills tomorrow."

"No. We have to do much more than that."

Zuko denied Jee's promised punishment. Jee had a questioning look on his face, as did many of the crew, imploring Zuko to go on. Iroh was watching Zuko as well, the unanswered question from before still in the air.

_"What will you do now?"_

"Most of you are veteran soldiers. You've also travelled around the world with me this past year. I'm sure you've all noticed the stares. Everywhere we go, people _hate _us," Zuko began in a self-derogatory manner.

The people before him knew all too well what he was talking about. It would be impossible not to notice, after all. Shen shuffled uncomfortably.

"Back home, we're told that the purpose of this war is to spread the greatness of the Fire Nation across the world. That we're doing everyone else a favour by killing their people and destroying their culture, because we're somehow better than they are. It's no wonder we have soldiers acting like _this _if that's what they believe. I know that some of you already disagree with this, and that that's the reason you're here on this ship with a banished prince and a retired general instead of fighting on the frontlines."

Some of the men looked up at that. It's true that they spoke up about this kind of thing to their superiors, but look where that landed them.

"You know, at first, I wasn't happy having to share a ship with a bunch of disgraced insubordinates." They looked insulted at that, but Zuko continued on. "And I know that I haven't been the world's _greatest _boss."

"You were closer to the world's _worst_ boss."

"But now," Zuko cut off the laughter that came from that interruption while slightly irritated. "A year into this mission, which I'm sure you all suspect by now is nothing but a wild bunny goose chase, I've realized there's no better crew to have with me."

That silenced the thirty odd sailors, who now paid rapt attention to what Zuko had to say next. Iroh glanced at his nephew, quirking an eyebrow with interest.

"I'm abandoning my hunt for the Avatar. From now on, my mission is to fight back against Fire Lord Ozai."

The soldiers were all shocked speechless. Just yesterday, the banished prince was raving about capturing the Avatar so that he could return home to his father, and now this? This was in the complete opposite direction!

Iroh jumped in, "Nephew, perhaps this is a bit sudden."

"No, uncle. I won't waste any more time. Not when I have this chance to make things right." Zuko turned from his uncle back to his crew. "For too long, the Fire Nation has oppressed the people of the world. We've lost our honour. We have to change that."

"Prince Zuko, what you're describing is rebellion!" an older soldier exclaimed with worry.

"Yes, I am," Zuko stated with finality. This got most of them murmuring. Has he lost his mind? The prince going against the Fire Nation? Against his father?

"Make no mistake, we will become fugitives, but together we can right the wrongs of our nation!" Zuko started to get more heated as he gave his impassioned speech. "We can change the way the world sees us! The people of the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes will look at us with admiration and respect, instead of hatred and fear! Who will stand with me?!"

Unfortunately, he was answered with mostly silent stares as he caught his breath. As his breathing died down and the silence continued, his expression shifted into painful disappointment.

"I understand the sentiment, Prince Zuko, but going against our own nation is a bit…"

"Yeah, I get what you're saying, but being a fugitive is…"

Many voiced their doubts to Zuko's new mission. He looked down and clenched his fist, completely disheartened. His uncle looked on worriedly.

"I will join you, Prince Zuko."

Zuko looked up as Lieutenant Jee went to cross the divide between the two groups, and stood next to the prince.

"Me too! I can't stand the way the Fire Nation does things lately! Especially to young kids like yourself!"

"Count me in."

A frail looking engineer and a soldier in his 30's crossed as well. Zuko recognized them as some of the few who were present when his uncle told the story of his banishment.

"Well, if I leave, who's going to cook your meals? Hahaha!" the rotund chef joined in. He was there in that disused room as well. When he crossed over, Iroh beamed a toothy smile.

A few others joined Zuko's side, but the majority were still standing across from him. Shen, the soldier Zuko fought together with, seemed to be conflicted. He was considerably younger than most of the crew on this ship. He had yet to see the worst of the Fire Nation.

"Yeah, alright. I guess I'm in too. The Fire Nation could use a little change," Shen finally decided with a sigh, and began walking over. Zuko gave a slight smile at that, and he gave an awkward smile back.

It seemed that was the end of it, since no one else walked forward. One of the soldiers that stayed across from Zuko coughed before asking the important question.

"Well, that's great and all, but what about us?"

Zuko looked a bit taken aback by that, and tried to fish for an answer.

"U-Uhh, I mean, I would let you use the ship, but I, kind of... need the ship... so you guys can, uhh…"

Zuko looked at his uncle with a face that screamed 'HELP ME.' Iroh shook his head and went to save his nephew. And himself. Seeing this flustered performance was a little painful.

"Do not worry, private. We will provide those that chose not to join us with the ship's komodo rhinos and enough supplies to find their way back to the Fire Nation. Luckily, we just restocked! You can take them now and retire in the village inn for tonight, since we will leave this port at sunrise." Iroh then gestured to the unconscious soldiers. "I would also ask that you make sure these four boys get home safely."

After an unspoken thanks from Zuko to his uncle, some of those that chose not to stay brought out the four komodo rhinos from the cargo bay, along with a few crates. Others helped carry the unconscious men off the deck. Some departed the ship without saying a word, but many saluted Iroh with "it's been an honour, sir" as they left. A few looked to Zuko and nodded, but that was all they did.

With that, most of Zuko's crew was gone. Whatever optimism he had at the few that did stay evaporated seeing the mass exodus of people from his command. Jee and the others went back to their quarters to get some much needed shut-eye, but Zuko sat down against the railing of the ship looking exhausted. Iroh plopped down next to him.

"It's good to see that you still don't think things through, nephew," Iroh playfully chided.

Zuko groaned, brought his knees to his chest, and buried his head in them. "I'll have to fix that."

Zuko meant that. If he was to make the most of this second chance, he'd have to start planning ahead. But Iroh really _was_ relieved. His nephew had been through so much that part of him feared that he was a complete stranger. Seeing Zuko's signature trait, while technically a bad thing, set him at ease that this was still the nephew he knew and loved.

"All things considered, I'd say things went pretty well!" Iroh said, upbeat.

Zuko looked at his uncle like he was crazy. "'_Pretty well?_' Uncle, we had almost thirty men, and now we're down to eight!"

And of the eight, three were non-combatants, being the operating crew of the ship. Their fighting force was considerably lowered, a bad place to be for a fledgling rebellion.

"Ah, you've miscounted, nephew. The two of us can pull our own weight, so our numbers are up to ten!"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Besides, all the music night regulars stayed!"

"Again, is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Including the chef!"

"If we _were_ counting men by the amount of weight they pull, we'd be at fifteen with you, uncle."

Zuko was so busy retorting to his uncle's antics that he slipped into the dry humour and sarcasm he gained while travelling with the Avatar, causing his uncle to gasp and exclaim at him.

"Nephew!"

But he didn't have to worry.

"Since when did you develop a sense of humour?! This is a cause for celebration!"

Iroh jumped to his feet and said something mildly insulting. Zuko deadpanned at first, but then couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Hearing this, Iroh looked back and gave his nephew a genuine smile.

"Now it really _has_ been a long and tiring day. Let us rest, Prince Zuko, so that we may take on tomorrow. Together."

Iroh offered his hand to pull Zuko up. With the prince on his feet, he started towards his quarters, yawning loudly. Zuko watched his uncle's retreating back, and smiled at his parting words.

Maybe things would turn out alright after all.


	3. Charting A Course

.

**生**

BOOK ONE:

**LIFE**

CHAPTER THREE:

**CHARTING A COURSE**

.

As planned, the ship left the port at sunrise. After the events of last night, Zuko was glad to leave that port town and get back to open waters. Years of seafaring have made the ocean a comfortable place of retreat for Zuko, despite his element.

Now that they were cruising, the crew didn't have much to do until Zuko told them of their next objective. Anyone who was on the ship could feel the anxious tension in the air. These men who stayed, perhaps foolishly, joined a rebellion led by a disgraced prince with no plan. Zuko knew he would have to give them something to go on, and soon.

'But first…'

"Lieutenant." Zuko approached Jee, who was looking out onto the horizon from the platform protruding from the ship's tower.

"Prince Zuko, what is it?"

"I will be in my quarters with my uncle for some time discussing our plan moving forward. Ensure that no one disturbs us."

"Sir," Jee replied in perfect military formality.

"And… I wanted to thank you."

Jee gave a slight questioning look at that. Zuko looked smaller saying that than he did giving his earlier order. The middle aged sailor saw a nervous boy, not his commanding officer.

"You were the first one last night, to join us. To say that you were staying. It was only after you did that the others followed. So, uh, thank you."

The lieutenant gave a slight smile at the awkward prince before him. Zuko still clearly wasn't used to expressions of sincerity, even after all that he's gone through in the other timeline. To Jee, the contrast was especially stark compared to the temperamental and spoiled kid that he was used to dealing with. Now that he knew the full story, he supposed that the anniversary of the prince's banishment did a lot to change him.

He was right, in a way.

"Don't mention it," Jee began, decidedly less formal. "I'm getting sick of this war too, and there's no chance I was going to keep serving the Fire Lord. Not after I heard about what he did."

Jee looked down at Zuko sympathetically, but Zuko winced at the reminder.

"About that… I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else."

"Are you sure? I know they'd be on your side."

"I'm sure."

Zuko sounded almost pained as he said so with finality. To him, the story behind his scar was still deeply personal. Seeing that, there was no way Jee could argue.

"You have my word, sir."

* * *

"So, where should we begin?"

The two royals were standing in front of a desk placed against a wall of Zuko's quarters. The door was locked tight and the rest of the crew were told to steer clear, not that it was difficult for them to do so. With only ten of them left even the small and outdated cruiser felt almost uncomfortably spacious.

On the hard metal tabletop was a map of the known world, a little worn around the edges from overuse. Now that they've decided to defy the world's most dominant military, they'd have to think carefully about what their next step should be.

"I have a few ideas, but I thought I'd ask about your connections first. Are you still the Grand Lotus?"

What Zuko was asking about was his uncle's leadership position at the head of an international secret society, the Order of the White Lotus. If he hadn't told Iroh almost everything he knew the night before, the old general would've been shocked at being found out. But as it was now, Iroh could discuss it openly.

"Yes, but Order members are very few, and very far between. The war has done much to lessen our influence. They would not engage in open conflict at this moment, especially when they stand little chance of victory and risk revealing themselves."

"That's a shame," Zuko brought his hand to his chin in thought. He was hoping that he could recruit some much needed help. "What about some of the key members, then? Omashu is pretty close. If we just told King Bumi about our rebellion then surely he could help us."

"Omashu may be self-governed, but even Bumi's forces are formally part of the Earth Kingdom. He would not ally his city with Fire Nation so easily, not even for the Grand Lotus. It would be foolish to do so, and would be incredibly suspicious to his allies."

Iroh shot down that proposal as well. Zuko frowned in frustration. Well, he knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"So, we're on our own then."

"You have only changed yesterday, Prince Zuko. To the world outside this ship, we are Fire Nation royalty," Iroh explained. "No one on the other side of the war would trust us, unless we proved our sincerity."

At that, Zuko smirked. "Then let's prove our sincerity. This is what I had in mind."

He placed his finger on the map a little ways north of their current position, over the midwestern Earth Kingdom. "We're already near the western coast. The Fire Nation presence here is weaker than it is further northwest, where the colonies are. If we strike fast, we can make the first move, even if the men we let go yesterday sent a messenger hawk to the capital."

Whether or not Zuko had thought of the consequences of letting his men walk after hearing him declare rebellious intent, there was nothing else he could do. It's not like he could just keep them on the ship where they would drain his resources and jeopardize his goals. So the only solution was to either have faith in their loyalty to his uncle, or get ahead of it by taking action quickly. Otherwise, they might be dealt with by the Fire Nation navy before getting any rebellion off the ground at all.

"We'll start liberating Earth Kingdom territories there," Zuko resolutely declared. "We'll make a name for ourselves and recruit allies along the way. Omashu will have to recognize us then."

It was true. Though the region Zuko was referring to and Omashu were separated by the Kolau Mountains, liberating settlements there in the name of their rebellion would definitely prove their 'sincerity,' both to the mad king and regular Earth Kingdom citizens alike.

"Not a bad plan, nephew. There are also the strategic benefits."

The general himself knew that very well, having been part of the war effort for many years. The land was less resource rich than the northwest and there were fewer tactically important positions to hold in the region, explaining the relative lack of forces there. But despite that, the area was littered with small occupied towns providing steel, supplies, and taxes to the Fire Nation war machine.

Iroh was pretty impressed with his nephew. However, he still had his doubts.

"It would be difficult to launch such an offensive with the men we have remaining..."

"Weren't you pretty optimistic about that last night?"

"That was different. I am very happy that the chef stayed with us, but we cannot win a war with delicious meals. Or can we…?"

Zuko stared blankly seeing the difference between the Dragon of the West and his happy-go-lucky uncle, and how he shifted between the two effortlessly. Thankfully, he also had a real answer to the doubts raised, due to an entire two years of foreknowledge.

"I've thought about that. To be honest, this wasn't entirely _my _plan…"

Zuko wasn't incompetent when it came to tactics and strategy, but he was far from the prodigy that his sister was. To come up with this course of action within a night, he followed what he remembered. Iroh caught on to what he was implying, and leaned in curiously. Zuko hadn't told him every little detail when they had their talk, yet Iroh was curious about every little detail there was. Who wouldn't be?

"In the future, a barely trained Avatar was able to take out _this_ facility here. That's where we'll start."

Iroh looked to where his nephew's finger laid on the map, before asking the question to confirm what he was pointing at.

* * *

"The Fire Nation prison rig?"

"That's right."

It was now midday, and the royal duo were standing on the deck of the ship in front of the eight people that stayed with them. Zuko had gone over the plan with Iroh earlier, and was now doing the same with the rest of his men. Minus the part about knowing the future. They only just decided to take a chance on him, he didn't need them thinking he was crazy.

It was good timing too. If Zuko kept them waiting for directions any longer, their anxiety might've spilled over. Understandable given that they threw their lot in with an insurgent prince that had, up to this point, no idea what to do.

The one who just asked to confirm the target that Zuko announced was Shen, the young man who helped the prince subdue his fellow soldiers the other night.

"The plan is to act like we're just visiting the rig, then we can pull off a surprise attack and catch them off guard," Zuko elaborated. "We're setting those prisoners free."

"How are we going to pull this off with only seven fighters?" Jee asked.

It was a reasonable concern, but Zuko already had the answer. In the other timeline, when he all but interrogated the warden of the rig for information on the Avatar, he learned exactly how Aang managed to pull off the prison break.

"The prisoners there are mostly earthbenders. They've lost hope since they're far offshore and away from their element. But the coal being used to power the rig _is _their element. They just need to get to it." Zuko thought about Toph being able to bend the metal of the rig itself, but he was pretty sure no one on that rig right now would be able to pull _that _off. "Some of us will distract the guards while the rest find their way into the deposit. We'll bring the coal to the yard, and once the prisoners are on our side, we'll out number the soldiers stationed there by far."

"And why exactly would they be on our side? We're Fire Nation too," Shen questioned.

"If they see us fighting against their captors, I think they'll be convinced."

Zuko really wanted that to be the case. He remembered hearing that last time the prisoners' spirits were broken until Katara made some inspirational speech about hope. He wasn't very good at those, as the cold reception to his attempt the night before would attest to.

At the mention of fighting other people from the Fire Nation, some of the soldiers looked uncomfortable. Zuko could understand their feelings, but this was important.

"This is a mission to return these people to their families. With any luck, they'll liberate their homes and take the first step to undoing this war."

The men all looked at each other, confirming that they were all okay with this. Then with their nods, some more reluctant than others, the plan was approved.

"We'll head straight for the rig, Prince Zuko," Jee relayed. "We should arrive there by midday tomorrow at the latest."

"Excellent, lieutenant. All of you, make sure you're prepared for battle."

""Yes, sir!""

"Now, let's go over the details."

Jee had to admit, Zuko really did become a far more competent superior in a very short amount of time. General Iroh didn't need to step in at all while Zuko gave them their assignments for tomorrow, which often happened in the past when he would lose his cool at any and every perceived slight.

Speaking of Iroh, right as Zuko finished the briefing and the men made to turn away, the boisterous old man called out.

"Now that the important stuff is out of the way, you all know what today is right?"

Zuko groaned and facepalmed as his uncle started projecting across the deck, completely dispersing the serious atmosphere.

"**Who's up for music night?"**

* * *

In a cruel twist of fate, the number of music night attendees somehow _increased_.

It shouldn't have been possible, given the fact that the size of their crew dropped to a third of what it once was, but it made sense if you thought about it. With so few people on board, you'd have nothing to do if you didn't join and everyone else did. In the end, everyone but the prince already agreed to be there.

Zuko tried not to think about how this was the most impactful change he's caused thus far.

"Isn't it wonderful, nephew? To think that such a thing could happen!"

"It's definitely a thing alright."

To pass the time of the rest of the day, he had asked his uncle to help him practice his Dancing Dragon forms. Iroh was the only person in the world he _could _ask, in any case. Zuko meant it when he said that he didn't want to waste any time, and the confrontation at the pier yesterday revealed that his current body wasn't up to snuff with the one he was used to.

"Are you going to join us tonight?"

"Have I _ever _joined a music night, uncle?"

As they made their light conversation, they were moving through the stances within that disused room where Iroh talked about his banishment. It was one of the only rooms big enough and secluded enough to perform the technique in tandem while maintaining their secrecy. Zuko insisted on practicing this away from prying eyes, despite Iroh being completely fine with practicing on the deck where the rest of the soldiers were training. He _really _didn't feel like explaining what they were doing to Jee and the others right before their first mission.

_"Yeah, that's a great dance you two learned there."_

_"It's not a dance, it's a firebending form."_

_"We'll just tap-dance our way to victory over the Fire Lord."_

_"It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old!"_

He shuddered.

"What would you even do by yourself? Don't tell me you were planning to brood all alone again!"

"I could do some drills to get myself back in shape. And I don't brood."

Iroh quirked an eyebrow.

"Okay, so I brood a little. Can you blame me?"

After they finished going through the routine, Iroh continued their conversation.

"It is true that as prince, your physical condition is important. But so are your bonds with your people! Besides, I bought a new tsungi horn yesterday and I don't want it to go unused!"

While Iroh meant that statement lightheartedly, Zuko felt a little guilty. To him, he's spent months in metamorphosis, but to his crew, he did a complete about-face. They had no reason to trust that his new behaviour wasn't just a phase or an act, yet they followed him into an uncertain future, fighting against their own country at that. He already thanked Jee, but some of them stayed without even knowing the truth behind his banishment.

He supposed he could play a little music.

"If you don't join, then _I_ will use it. It is a very nice tsungi horn! So, if you want to get to it first, then-"

"Okay, I'll be there."

Zuko interrupted his uncle's rambling, having not paid attention to it at all. Iroh didn't know that Zuko had a more meaningful reason to join though, and was at a loss for words at the fact that he'd seemingly just convinced his nephew.

To play tsungi horn.

At their music night.

That was _impossible_.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Prince Zuko?" Iroh suddenly demanded in a grim tone of voice.

Zuko deadpanned. They were literally just practicing a nearly extinct firebending art that no one should be able to know about.

"You're asking that _now_?"

* * *

He had to admit, it _was _a nice tsungi horn.

Even though Zuko hadn't touched the instrument in a while, he could still see the craftsmanship in this piece. The metal wasn't as high quality as the one he had sitting in a closet back at the palace - few in the world could be - but the curve was well formed. Despite being of Earth Kingdom make, it wasn't dissimilar in quality to what Zuko would expect from firebending smiths. Part of him was legitimately relieved that he claimed it before his uncle could put his mouth on it.

'...I'm stalling.'

It was about time for music night to start, and Zuko was still in his room, sitting on the edge of his bed with the horn in his lap. He could already hear a few crew members chatting with each other on the deck, getting ready to start. Of course, his uncle was the first to arrive. In contrast, Zuko was actually pretty nervous. It might seem juvenile, but it's been a while since he played and he didn't want to look like an idiot. Plus, there were other reasons for him to be apprehensive too.

'Well, let's get it over with.'

Zuko sighed and resigned himself to his fate. By the time he made it down to the deck, everyone else was already around the campfire. As he approached, a few groans were let out, making Zuko slow his steps towards the group.

'Am I not wanted?'

"I CAN'T BELIEVE HE SHOWED UP!" the elderly helmsman yelled.

"Serves you right," Jee retorted. "General Iroh said the prince would come."

"He's said that every music night…" the helmsman grumbled as he handed the lieutenant several copper pieces. A few others did as well, including Shen who did so a little sheepishly since Zuko was watching. The prince could feel a headache coming on as he sat in the circle between his uncle and the young soldier.

"You bet on whether or not I was going to show up?"

"It was supposed to be an easy bet too. You never showed up before!" Shen complained, despite the fact that he has _also _never been to a music night before now. There wasn't any heat in it though. He actually seemed pretty pleased to see Zuko there, and he wasn't the only one.

"I'm glad you could join us after all, nephew. Now they can finally hear the gift you have that I keep telling them about!"

Nine faces looked expectantly at Zuko then. He blanched.

"Wait, you want me to go first? Alone?"

Jee smiled. "General Iroh has been praising your skill for years. I'd like to hear it."

"It's been a while…"

"To be honest, I'm pretty curious too," Shen chimed in from beside him.

"I, err, I don't really know any happy songs."

"JUST DO IT!" the helmsman blurted out. Zuko suspected he was still sour about Jee taking his money.

A little hesitant, he finally brought the mouthpiece to his lips.

To be honest, the crew didn't know what they were expecting to hear. It was true that their esteemed general had told them nearly every chance he got that Zuko's talent was undeniable, be it explicitly or through statements such as "if only my nephew were here, then we could play some _real _music" and the like. Still, none of them could actually picture their brash teenage commander being any good at playing an instrument.

But as Zuko began to play, he immediately enraptured his audience. No banter was had between the rowdy seafarers. Only the melancholic notes that were drawn from Zuko's breath, and, going by the emotions on his face, his _soul_, were allowed to carry through the air. He missed a few notes here and there, lack of practice showing through, but the sentiment in his song was so heavy that it didn't matter.

Silence reigned for a while after Zuko let his lips leave the horn. The prince's eyes were looking somewhere far away, only coming back to reality after feeling their speechless gazes stay on him for too long.

"And, uh, that was it," he offered lamely.

"..."

"W-Was it bad?"

Suddenly the air exploded with noise.

"'_Was it bad?!_' Are you serious?!"

"It's like I've never truly heard the tsungi horn until just now."

"No offense, General Iroh, but he was even better than you!"

"HAHAHA! None taken! I agree wholeheartedly!"

Zuko flushed at the praise, an embarrassed smile sprouting on his face.

"With that level of skill, I have to ask." Shen turned to him. "Why don't you ever play, sir?"

The questioned sobered Zuko. "I started playing because of… someone close to me. Someone I lost." He looked down with a sad smile. "Whenever I play, I see her face."

The chatter died down at his sorrowful explanation. Iroh grew solemn. There was no one in the Fire Nation who hadn't heard of Ursa's alleged treason all those years ago. It was a belief that became a nation's truth. The fact that Zuko couldn't even tell his crew about his mother, for fear of rejection, was yet another misfortune in his tapestry of tragedies.

"...I lost my parents to this war. That's why I'm here," Shen shared, eyes glimmering with an unspoken rage as he stared into the fire between them all. Zuko looked at him in commiseration. If only he knew how close to home that hit.

Silence, again, as the men reflected. They've _all _lost someone to the war.

Finally, Zuko spoke once more.

"This was... nice." Despite the sadness, he felt lighter than he had in years. "Maybe it's time I stopped running away from her memory, and started honouring it."

"Wise words, nephew." Iroh nodded and put his hand on Zuko's shoulder, looking tenderly at his family. The others around the fire looked at Zuko similarly, many finally accepting the change he's undergone since yesterday. They were seeing their prince in a new light.

"Does that mean you'll join us again next week?"

"Don't push it, uncle."

A few chuckles came out at that, the atmosphere lightening to their collective relief.

"I actually came to thank you all. For staying. I didn't mean to drag the mood down." Zuko scratched his head awkwardly. "Like I said, I don't know any happy songs, but if you all play I'm sure I could... follow along?"

The engineer jumped up at that. "I like this new Prince Zuko! You heard him fellas, stop mopin' around! Let's kick it!"

As if a switch was flipped, everyone started _jamming_. The serious Jee was strumming on his pipa in time with a middle aged soldier banging his drums. Iroh belted out some questionable singing, and as promised, Zuko tried to follow and invariably failed given the chaos. Even Shen, who'd never played music in his life, picked up a tambourine and got into it, embracing the discord.

None of them were under any illusions about it sounding good. It was _awful_. But tomorrow, they'd have to fight, and who knows what would happen from there.

So they took this moment of joy while they still could, their song ringing through the night.


	4. The Prison Rig

.

**生**

BOOK ONE:

**LIFE**

CHAPTER FOUR:

**THE PRISON RIG**

.

While Zuko practiced advanced firebending with his uncle the day before, the fact remained that his body was weaker in the most fundamental aspects compared to his future self. Which is why he woke up before everyone else on the ship to do some exercise. No fancy forms, just pure physical conditioning. It seemed that the one habit that stayed with him, even across timelines, was the inability to get a good night's sleep.

When the sun began to crest the horizon, the other firebenders on the ship began to wake. One such firebender wandered out onto the deck earlier than the rest, fidgeting with his hands as he meandered. It was only when he heard the prince's voice that he was shaken out of his stupor.

"Shen, you're up early."

As Zuko finished his last set of crunches, his ears picked up the lumbering patter of footsteps from the side of him. He settled into a sitting position as he looked over the soldier and called out to him, the light of the morning sun painting them both in scarlet hues.

"Not as early as you, sir." Shen scratched his head, mind clearly elsewhere.

"Couldn't sleep much."

"Same."

Zuko was about to ask what was on Shen's mind, but the soldier started talking before he could open his mouth.

"I'm just nervous, I guess. I mean, this is crazy! I've never even fought in a real battle before, and now I'm about to fight against the _Fire Nation_. My fellow soldiers! This is crazy..."

Seeing Shen pace back and forth with uncertainty, Zuko looked on sympathetically. He's struggled with the same thing many times before. He thought back — or forward, depending on how you look at it — to the moment he decided to join the Avatar, during the eclipse. Even though he loved his nation, he realized that their cruelty was too much to bear. In fact, it was _because _he loved his nation that he had to stop it.

"I get how you feel."

"You do?"

"I do. Trust me I do," Zuko said. "But the prisoners on that rig... a lot of them weren't even soldiers. The Fire Nation took any and all earthbenders away from their homes and imprisoned them, just for being earthbenders. It isn't right."

Conflict still played on Shen's features, so Zuko went on. "If we want to show the world that the Fire Nation is better than that, we have to do this."

"I guess so…" the soldier resigned, and he looked out over the bow of the ship. "Too late to get cold feet about it now."

Zuko followed the direction of his eyes. In the distance, a menagerie of ships in various stages of construction and repair were crowded around a platform of metal, elevated over the waves. Plumes of smoke were constantly escaping from the spire at its center. A small network of docks, where the ships in maintenance were parked, haphazardly sprawled out from the structure's base like steel branches.

It was time.

* * *

"QUIT SLACKING! I WANT THESE REPAIRS FINISHED BY SUNDOWN!"

"B-but-" a wiry man with short hair and the unkempt beginnings of a beard tried to object, but was immediately cut off by the prison warden.

"Oh? Are you talking back to me, prisoner?" A flame erupted in the warden's hand, a cruel smirk accompanying it. The guards beside the warden readied their spears. Seeing this, the man went back to work, teeth gritted and hammer clenched in his grip tighter than before.

The warden extinguished his fire, smugly triumphant, as he continued his walk along the deck of the ship being worked on. From beside the frustrated man, a much bulkier prisoner scowled in anger. His buzz cut along with his muscular physique cut an imposing figure. Though in the end, he was dressed in the same rags as everyone else, hammering the same panel into place.

"He can't talk to us like that, Ping. I oughta-"

"Don't start anything, Kwang," a prisoner with a white beard warned. "It's best if we keep our heads down and just get this done."

"Fixing this thing up by the end of today is impossible and you know it! " The large man named Kwang bristled with indignation. "I don't care what hotshot naval captain it belongs to. Screw him."

"Being reckless won't do us any good with how many guards are around. Don't be stupid."

They were surrounded by Fire Nation on all sides, not to mention the rest that were stationed elsewhere on the rig. It was hopeless. Meanwhile, the warden looked positively pleased. He thought he had it pretty good. He was paid more than the common grunt, got to discipline earth peasants, and played an important part in the war without actually fighting and risking his life.

He was interrupted from his musing when the prison's guard captain walked up to him. "Sir, we have a ship incoming. New prisoners or resupply?"

"Neither. Odd, I wasn't expecting any arrivals today."

The warden pulled out his spyglass and brought it to his eye. He did indeed spot a cruiser en route, albeit a smaller one than the cruisers he usually received. His eyes narrowed in suspicion, but nevertheless the vessel was undoubtedly Fire Nation.

"Meet them at the arrivals pier, captain. I'll remain here, to _ensure_ our prisoners stay on schedule," the warden said with a sadistic glint in his eyes, as he put his spyglass away.

In any case, the ship was small and harmless. No doubt that the rig's guards would be able to handle anything out of the ordinary.

* * *

"TAKE ME TO THE WARDEN, NOW!"

The figure that emerged from the ship was most certainly _not_ ordinary. The guards of the prison nervously guided the way of his warpath after he demanded the attention of the one in charge. With an entourage of a few soldiers, including the esteemed General Iroh, he marched from the receiving area straight to a dock where a ship was being worked on. On the deck of said ship, he came face to face with a startled prison warden.

"Prince Zuko? What brings you to-"

"WHERE IS THE AVATAR?!"

The prince did _not _look to be in a talking mood. He strode towards the warden, making him back up with every step, and all but snarled his demand. His vicious voice carried through the air, attracting the attention of guards and prisoners alike.

"W-what do you mean, your highness?"

"I heard rumours that someone spotted an airbender nearby this very rig, warden. Do. Not. Test me. TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW!"

'This brat.' While he was externally trying to placate the royal temper tantrum, he couldn't be more internally annoyed. The rig was far enough offshore from the Earth Kingdom continent, close enough to the outer Fire Nation peninsula, to have heard about the prince's banishment. While very few knew the full story, many have encountered the prince's zeal in his hunt for the Avatar who has long vanished. Despite his exile, however, he was still a prince. The warden did _not_ want to mess with the royal family by leaking his true thoughts.

If only he knew how little they would care.

"I assure you, there's been no such-"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!"

"Now now, Prince Zuko. You must control your temper," the elderly general calmly tried to defuse the situation. It didn't work.

"Do NOT get in my way, uncle!"

"You insolent little-! Do not speak to General Iroh that way!"

"You have something to say, _lieutenant_?"

The atmosphere got _more_ volatile somehow, as Zuko glared at Jee and Jee returned the glare in kind. The Dragon of the West also got name dropped, drawing even more eyes their way.

From beside them, the earthbenders watched the exchange with disgust.

"Great, more Fire Nation pigs," Kwang groaned out.

Ping panicked. "Hey, keep your voice down! They might hear you!"

"With how loud they're being? I doubt it."

Zuko did hear it, of course. His ears often did pick up things he wasn't meant to. Or wanted to.

A pair of soldiers that were accompanying Zuko slinked away from the scene just as Jee spit something about respect at the prince's face. The guard captain, who had helped lead the group here, asked something in a low voice as they sneaked past.

"Does this happen often?"

The younger soldier with shoulder length black hair tiredly nodded. "Too often."

"We'll be here a while," the older soldier said matter of factly.

The guard captain winced, and let them through towards the central tower to escape for a while. He felt that he was giving them a small mercy, but he was giving them much more.

* * *

Now alone within the halls of the tower, the pair let their facade go.

"I can't believe that worked. Just how bad is his reputation…"

As Shen mulled that over, they checked each door they came across for what they were looking for. After a while, a prison guard turned the corner in front of them, just barely missing them suspiciously peeking into a room.

"You two are new," he said, an unspoken question hanging tensely in the air.

Shen froze for a moment, caught off-guard, but the older man picked up the situation. "Did you hear the commotion coming from the docks?"

The guard shuddered. "Yeah, you with them?"

"Unfortunately."

"Jeez. Glad I'm not you two."

And just like that, the guard continued on his way, _whistling_. Shen was astonished.

"If this is the state of our prisons, I'm surprised no one has broken out already."

"To be fair, it is quite a convincing performance. Now come on, we need to find the coal deposit. They can't keep up this charade forever."

* * *

"You WILL still your tongue if you want to _keep_ it, lieutenant!"

"And YOU will treat me and my crew with respect!"

They've been here for a little while now, just yelling at each other but saying nothing of worth.

'Please hurry up.'

Zuko was getting tired of this act. He was never good at lying but it was clear that everyone bought the performance anyhow. Maybe he could slip into this role more convincingly because this kind of exchange was familiar to him.

From the looks of actual anger on Jee's face, it was _too_ familiar. Zuko cringed internally, knowing that he actually used to talk like this. The lieutenant too had to mentally remind himself that this Zuko was left behind.

"You want me to treat you with respect, _lieutenant? _THEN EARN IT."

"WHY YOU PIECE OF-"

Supposedly left behind. Supposedly.

Mercifully, they heard a voice shouting out from behind them.

"Wait! Stop! What do you think you're doing?!"

A guard stumbled out onto the dock from the tower, following Shen and the older soldier who barrelled through ahead of him. They were pushing one minecart each, both brimming with coal.

"What?!" The warden turned his attention away from the bickering as the two ran onto the deck.

The prince and the lieutenant couldn't hide their relief. They saw each other slacken, and shared a tired smile.

'Finally.'

Shen and the older soldier toppled the carts over once they reached the middle of a group of earthbenders, spilling the coal across the floor. The bearded man was the first to react.

"What's going on?!"

"Isn't it obvious? We came here to break you out!"

At Shen's declaration, the warden spun back around to face the prince.

"What is the meaning of-?!"

But he couldn't finish spewing his outrage. Because he was now unconscious. Because Iroh slammed his fist down on his head.

"Whoops."

Both the prisoners and the prison guards took a second to process what just happened.

No one moved for a beat, then-

"TRAITORS! GET THEM!"

A cry from the guard captain startled them back to alertness. Jee rectified the problem of the captain being conscious by charging the man with a savage clothesline. Iroh and Zuko quickly handled a few other guards with fluid jabs, incapacitating them before they could use their fire. Unfortunately, there were still many left on the deck, and they were closing in.

"Now's your chance! Bend the coal and fight back!" Zuko cried out to the prisoners while the fighting continued. But even with what was going on around them, the earthbenders just watched, silent and still.

Panic flared in Zuko and he just barely managed to block a blast coming from his side. While clashing with the firebending guard, he looked around. Jee was taking down one spear wielder at a time, but his building fatigue was plain to see. His uncle was holding off more than a handful at once, brushing their blasts off and countering with his own, but even he wasn't making much headway. Worst of all, his four remaining soldiers were outmatched and surrounded. Shen's strikes were hesitant while theirs were unflinching.

"Please!" He pushed the guard down with a burst of flame, and pleaded once more. "We can all get out of here if we work together!"

Three more blasts headed his way before he could say any more. Zuko dropped into a breakdance, motioning a circle of fire into existence around him to collide with the incoming volley. The flames followed through, breaking the stances of the attackers and bringing them down. The earthbenders remained quiet — though some fidgeted, contemplating what they should do.

Before he fully rose out of his move, Zuko was struck from the side with the butt of a spear, shoving him into a roll. Pain flared in his ribs as he stood back up. They just kept coming. Jee was accumulating small cuts from near misses, his breathing growing heavier. Iroh was holding off an increasing number of men by himself, getting more and more strained as well. Two of Zuko's other soldiers were already on the ground, restrained. The soldier who helped Shen was panting while on one knee, Shen himself just managing to hold the guards back, but not dealing any real damage.

Kwang had enough. He stepped forward, but the bearded man stopped him. "No, this could be a ploy. Get us to fight, then have an excuse to get rid of us. You know the warden isn't above it."

"This could be the only chance we get, Tyro!"

Zuko grabbed the shaft of the spear that was thrust toward him, and bisected it with a flaming chop. When he spun the piece in his hand around and slammed the blunt end into the head of his opponent, he heard a name that made him widen his eyes in recognition.

'Tyro?'

An image flashed in his mind's eye. They didn't spend a lot of time together at the Western Air Temple, but he heard enough around the group campfire — of his longing, his worries, his losses.

'Haru's father!'

"We can't win without your help. Your families are waiting for you!" He faced the prisoners once more, this time looking directly at their de facto leader. "_Your son_ is waiting for you!"

This distraction was all a guard needed to raise a spear to Zuko's back. He didn't turn around in time. He closed his eyes, bracing for pain.

But it never came.

Hearing a thud and a clatter, he opened his eyes to see the spear on the floor, a chunk of coal embedded in its wielder's midsection. Turning to the prisoners again, he saw Tyro with features reflecting an immovable resolve. A raised palm left no question as to who launched that strike.

Zuko sighed in relief. His memories saved him, and it probably wouldn't be the last time it did either.

"Earth Kingdom, ATTACK!"

Tyro's roar was all that was needed to send coal flying all around, as a battlecry erupted from the prisoners. Earth was brutally battered around, damaging the ship that moments ago they were working to repair.

"Finally!" Kwang dived hands first into the pile of coal and coated his fists in it, then charged into the fray.

"That's right! My son needs me!" Ping entered a crane position, raising countless pebbles and rapid firing them in all directions, shattering spear shafts and denting the metal surfaces of the ship as they ricocheted.

The earthbenders went from docile to relentless, unleashing their rage and resentment. The guards weren't expecting this sudden resistance, and as some turned around to face the new threat, they made the mistake of turning their backs to Iroh and Jee. The edges of Zuko's mouth quirked upwards at the turn of events, and he dashed towards his uncle and lieutenant to aid them.

A group of firebenders managed to coordinate a series of fireballs at the earthbenders, but Tyro and a few others blocked it with a wall of coal. With a shout, they brought their arms down, and the wall cascaded like a wave over their assailants.

Kwang charged towards the guards that were surrounding Zuko's men. Any blasts directed his way were weakened from their shock, and batted away. With coal fists and a strength you would expect from his build, he pummeled them into the ground and then some.

"Hey hey hey! Don't hurt them!" Shen exclaimed at the display of violence. Kwang snorted like he'd just heard a bad joke, then ran off into another fight. Clicking his tongue in annoyance at this, Shen focused on getting his fellow crew members back on their feet.

The fighting continued for only a little while longer before it died down. The ship was mangled, the guards were taken out, and both Zuko's crew and the prisoners were still standing. The prince looked to Tyro, who gave an approving nod. Zuko returned it.

But the moment of victory didn't last. A horn began to blare from the central tower, more and more guards streaming out of it in response.

"EVERYONE! GET TO THE SHIP!"

At Iroh's shout, they hurriedly made their way to the arrivals pier. It wasn't far from where they were at the working docks, and they made it before the reinforcements could reach them. Still, every second counted as they got closer and closer. The rebels and prisoners were squeezing as many people onto the cruiser as possible, when a shout from one of Zuko's non-combatant sailors filled them with dread.

"It's no use, sir! This is all she can take!"

Zuko was still on the pier with Iroh, Tyro, and a few dozen other prisoners. His features sharpened in alarm. "Are you sure?!"

"Does it _look _like there's any more room, sir?"

Ignoring his sass, the crewman was right. The deck was packed to capacity. The guards were close. They were running out of time.

"What do we do now?" a prisoner cried out.

Zuko clenched his fist and turned to Tyro. "Any ideas?"

The bearded man thought for a second, then his eyes lit up. "There should be a few junks still docked, newly repaired, but they're on the other side of the rig. We'll have to go through the walkways on the sides of the tower."

"We'll get you there," Zuko said with a finality that left no room for doubt.

Iroh nodded in affirmation and shouted out to the crew. "GO! We'll find another ship!"

Kwang didn't like this. "Tyro, we're not leaving you behind!"

"I'll be fine! We'll meet up with you closer to the shore!"

"LET'S GO!" Jee commanded. The cruiser undocked, starting towards the Earth Kingdom's western coast. He spared a worried glance at the two royals. They would make it out. They had to.

As the ship left, those remaining turned towards the rig. A swarm of guards were running at them, spearheads first. Zuko and Iroh stepped forward in front of the rest of the group.

"Let's do this."


	5. The First Step

_**A.N. **__Made some edits to previous chapters — will probably be doing that a lot while writing this story. Don't worry though, it's nothing major like plot changes or anything like that. Just minor edits in wording or formatting, or for canonical consistency. Also added a 'title card' for each chapter like the show, because it's fun._

.

**生**

BOOK ONE:

**LIFE**

CHAPTER FIVE:

**THE FIRST STEP**

.

The two royals took down the incoming forces one by one as they pushed through to the tower. The enemy was attacking solely from in front of them, rather than from all around like before, making it possible. With them both knowing the Dancing Dragon, they were moving with such synchronicity that it could be mistaken as being choreographed beforehand. Iroh was more grounded and measured in his movements, while Zuko danced around and above him. Any ignition of flame from their opposition was swiftly disturbed and immediately countered as the whirlwind advanced forward.

The earthbenders behind them had floated some coal alongside them, but they hadn't needed to use any of it yet. They watched, in equal parts awe and wary, as their unlikely allies dropped soldier after soldier. As the horn of alarm continued to blare from a guard high in the spire, the group managed to fight their way through to the ramp that connected the dock to the tower above them.

"GO! QUICKLY!" Iroh shouted.

They all started as fast as they could up the incline, but-

"GET THEM!"

A few guards appeared at the top of it, and ran down to try and stop them.

"How many guards are there?!" Zuko lamented as he prepared for combat yet again. "There weren't this many last time!"

Then again, he was here a year and a half earlier. Maybe this was just how it was?

"You've been here before?" Tyro asked, surprised.

"U-Uh, here they come!"

Zuko got into a stance, but before the enemy at the vanguard could reach the prince, a chunk of coal flew at the side of the guard's head, knocking him off balance. He toppled over the railing and into the water below.

"Can't let you two do all the work. Earth Kingdom, let's show them what we're made of!"

Responding to Tyro's battlecry, the other prisoners charged ahead.

"I'll make sure to leave some for you." Zuko smirked. Not to be outdone, he hopped onto the railing and ran across it past the earthbenders. He dashed on the thin footing as surely as he would on solid ground. Front-flipping into a spinning flame kick at the top of the ramp, he began engaging the guards there. Tyro looked at Iroh then, as if waiting for something.

"What? You expect me to do _that_?"

The fighting continued, more and more guards splashing on impact with the sea as they were thrown over. Eventually, the jailbreakers all made it to the top — to the walkway that wrapped around the sides of the tower.

"This way!" Tyro led the group around.

The junks they needed to get to were on the other end of the rig, so they still had some distance to cover. The patter of their collective rush upon the bolted metal halted when they turned the last corner. Another formation of guards, already preparing a coordinated stream of fire, was right in front of them.

"Wall, now!"

Thinking quickly, Tyro directed the other earthbenders to all form their coal into a wall in front of the group. The flames were completely blocked, the heat absorbed by the barrier. Tyro started jabbing the wall, launching pucks of now red hot coal from the mass blindly at the targets behind it. A few collided, taking a few guards down. The rest were forced into a defensive stance. Finally, Tyro push kicked the wall, sending the entire thing forward over those that were left. They didn't get back up.

"Nice moves," Zuko said, impressed. He was reminded at how versatile earthbending could be, and of a precocious twelve year old girl he knew.

"I should be telling you that, what with all your flipping. Now let's move." Tyro himself was surprised at how amicable he was being towards who he surmised to be Fire Nation royalty, but fighting side by side does a lot to smooth out rough edges. Especially when the other person is freeing you from indefinite internment.

The path was clear, but it wouldn't be long before guards that were deeper within the rig came out to meet them. They all ran down the ramp on the opposite side to the dock they were looking for — the one with three junk ships moored to it, all smaller than even Zuko's cruiser.

"Hurry and get on board, before any more come!"

Iroh directed half the group onto one of the ships, while Zuko was with Tyro and the other half. They got ready to depart, but there was one problem.

"The last ship, we can't leave it for them to chase us with," Tyro said.

Zuko agreed. "Uncle!"

But he didn't need to call out, since Iroh was already in the middle of a form that he painfully recognized.

With a circular motion of his arms, the air itself sparked around the Dragon of the West. The earthbenders on board his ship kept a healthy, fearful distance. As the sparks grew into arcs of lightning, trailing his hands like jagged fractures in the air, he shot two fingers out at the empty junk. The blast exploded the side of its hull, and the sea's waters poured in to fill the vacancy. The junk would meet its fate at the bottom of the ocean.

Tyro was blankly astonished at the display. He had no idea that _that_, whatever _that_ was, was even _possible_. Judging from the looks on the rest of the earthbenders' faces, they were thinking the same thing. As the two surviving junks sailed off, shouts from the rig fading away behind them, he murmured to the prince next to him.

"I'm glad your uncle's on _our _side."

* * *

"Phew, I'm stuffed."

"Shouldn't have ordered all those sides. You're gonna get even more out of shape somehow."

"What're you, my girlfriend?"

Two Fire Nation soldiers walked out of a restaurant at a seaport village. Well, _the_ restaurant more like. It was a lively settlement, but seeing as the village was immediately bordered on three sides by mountains and on one side by the sea, it was small enough to be serviced mostly by food stalls. The restaurant was the only sit-down eatery available.

"You wish. Who'd wanna be with you after watching you eat? It's _disgusting_."

"I'll hit you."

"I'd like to see you try, sushi-boy. How are you not sick of seafood by now anyway?"

The formerly Earth Kingdom village laid on the middle of the western shores of the continent. In about a year and a half, a certain waterbender would be transported through here, bound for the rig for the crime of being… an earthbender. At least the Fire Nation didn't end up arresting a lemur for earthbending.

Although they almost did.

The two made their way onto the boardwalk connected to the largest of the three piers jutting out into the Mo Ce Sea. As boring as this deployment could be, they at least got that refreshing seaside breeze on-demand.

"Hey, what's that?"

"Hm? They're ships. This is a port. Ships come here."

"I know that, smartass. I've just never seen a formation like that…"

In the near distance, they spotted a plume of exhaust trailing behind the smokestack of a small cruiser, sailing alongside two even more diminutive boats.

"It's Fire Nation ain't it? Stop worrying, s'bove our paygrade to worry."

"Yeah, you're right. I mean, _what could possibly go wrong_?"

* * *

"You just had to say it."

A couple of hours ago, the rebels and now _ex_-prisoners docked at each of the port's piers completely unsuspected. Once the earthbenders got their feet on solid ground, some for the first time in years, the battle was already won. The comparatively meager Fire Nation presence was driven out quickly — and a little recklessly, if the scattered boulders cratering the dirt paths of village was any indication. While most retreated north or further inland, the soldiers restrained by chains of earth right now were knocked out during the first moments of the landing.

Now that the battle was over, the freed earthbenders and Zuko's forces were milling about. Some of them actually lived in this port before it became Fire Nation controlled, and got to work cleaning the place up and reclaiming their home. They moved errant boulders, piled up dropped weapons and armour, and mended buildings and roads that fell into disrepair over the years. The ones who went a little wild during the battle looked a touch sheepish as their friends cleaned up their mess, but no one seemed to mind. They were just glad to be out of that accursed metal cage.

The ones that didn't come from this village still remained for now. The sun was getting low, and as much as they wanted to return to their families as soon as possible, they would not risk travelling at night. Plus, they hadn't learned anything about the royals who — for some reason — set them free. They didn't want to leave without answers. As it stood now, Zuko's men and the earthbenders awkwardly avoided each other, not quite knowing where they stood.

His uncle was unsurprisingly helping with the cleanup effort, completely ignoring the suspicious looks with cheer until the earthbenders just accepted it — so Zuko was only accompanied by Shen at the moment. They had just walked by the port's post office when they heard the approach of two figures from behind them.

"'Prince Zuko', was it? We need to talk."

Turning to meet the new voice, he came to face Tyro and Kwang. The former — the one who spoke — offered a small smile. The latter on the other hand stood beside Tyro defensively, staring down the two Fire Nation in front of him, tensed for a conflict he thought was inevitable. Shen glared right back at the show of hostility, but Zuko didn't flinch as he responded.

"Ah, alright. What is it?"

"Not that I don't appreciate the help, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that we weren't expecting a prince to orchestrate our prison break."

"Yeah, you deserve an explanation…" Zuko began as he rubbed his neck. He was waiting for this, although not looking forward to it. Diplomacy was far from his strong suit. In the end, he decided on bluntness, to be as clear as possible. "I _am _a prince, but a banished one. I want to end this war, but not for the Fire Lord."

Tyro was openly surprised. "A rebellion?"

The prince nodded. "This was the first step in fighting back. The first step in righting the wrongs done in the name of the Fire Nation. Not all of us are as cruel as _Ozai_."

Tyro didn't miss how the prince referred to his father by name, spitting it out like it was a poison in his mouth. Kwang wasn't as observant.

"As if that could be true," the large man snorted derisively.

"What?! After all we did, you're still saying that?!" Shen, who was silent till now, marched to the brute in anger.

"I've seen enough of what your kind can do," Kwang said, not hiding his contempt at all.

"Kwang!"

"Stand down, soldier."

The two leaders told their respective companions to amp down. Hesitantly, they stepped back, but their glares at each other intensified. Tyro sighed. His overprotective friend was not making this easy. He took a moment to absorb the information Zuko told him before responding.

"If we didn't have the day we just had, I wouldn't believe you." At Zuko's silent acknowledgment, Tyro continued. "So, the prince is a rebel. That's novel. But why free us? What do you expect from us now?"

"Not much more than you were going to do anyways." Zuko stood a little straighter. "Take back your homes, drive the occupying soldiers out, and then _keep _them out. I just hope you'll fight together with us when the time comes, now that you know that we're on your side."

Tyro allowed himself to feel a little hopeful. It was no secret that the war had exacted a heavy toll on this region of the Earth Kingdom — his home. If there was a chance to reclaim it, with some backup, then that was a blessing from the spirits. Fighting _with _the Fire Nation _against _the Fire Nation would be an unexpected development to say the least. But after their escape from the rig, he found that he didn't dislike the idea.

"We'll take you back to your home villages starting tomorrow morning, whether or not you agree to help us," Zuko offered. Tyro raised a hand in refusal.

"Accompanying each of us would take too long. We're all eager to return home as soon as possible."

"I… understand." Zuko still looked a little uncertain about leaving them on their own.

"Most of us are from nearby, we'll be fine," Tyro assuaged his concern. "Though, Kwang and his group could use the escort."

Hearing that, the man in question jumped in vehement refusal, putting his staring contest with Shen on pause.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

Tyro pinched the bridge of his nose. Still addressing Zuko, he continued. "His village is on the other side of the inlet to the east, and then even further inland after that."

A longer journey then, by ship and then on foot, in a more verdant and resource rich region than Tyro's mountainous home. No telling what they'll run into on the way.

"They'll be safe. I'll make sure of it."

Kwang made to retort to Zuko, but Tyro's harsh glare stopped the words before they came out. Kwang folded his arms in discontent and Shen smirked in victory at seeing the muscular man cowed.

Still, Tyro furrowed his brow. If they were going to be fighting off Fire Nation soldiers, then…

"What are we going to do about them?" He tilted his head towards the group of restrained soldiers a little ways away to his left, where they rounded them up on the boardwalk.

Zuko hadn't thought about the answer to that yet, though the problem was in the back of his mind. He didn't exactly want to-

"We could just deal with them. Permanently."

That. He didn't want to do that.

"What's WRONG with you?! They've already lost! How could you even say that?!" Shen's indignation flared even higher than it was, storming up to Kwang and shoving him roughly. Kwang barely moved.

"You're a rebellion. If you let them live, you're making things worse for yourselves."

Zuko hated to admit that Kwang had a point. If let go, they could come back and fight again, and they might not lose the next time. He faced a similar problem back when this whole journey began, when he let most of his crew go. But the alternative was completely out of the question. No matter which side he was on, they were still his countrymen. He couldn't do it then, he couldn't do it now, and he couldn't _ever _do it. He was not his father. He was _not_ his father.

"SIR! You can't honestly be considering this!"

Zuko was broken out of his thoughts by Shen's shocked cry. "What?! No, of course not!"

The soldier looked unconvinced, betrayed that the prince would even give it any thought. Zuko quickly tried to remedy the misunderstanding after seeing that expression on one of his men.

"Tyro." The prince turned to the earthbender, dead serious. "We're setting them free. Immediately."

Kwang stepped up to the prince. "You're making a mistake, boy. What do you think is going to happen if you just-"

"Enough, Kwang," Tyro reprimanded. "He set us free, we owe him this much."

"He was the one who imprisoned us in the first place!"

"I said ENOUGH. The soldiers are defeated. Doing anymore would make us no better than that warden. Head back to the others." Tyro left no room to argue. Kwang looked like he had just been slapped. With one last glare at the two Fire Nation, he turned and walked away.

The three who were left watched the man leave, before Tyro turned back around to the prince. "I'm sorry about that. He hasn't quite come to terms with all this."

"I get it," Zuko assured the man. "I wasn't expecting to change things in a day."

'Though I wish I could,' he added in his thoughts. Alas, there were one hundred heavy years past weighing down the future.

"Thankfully, there aren't that many soldiers," Tyro said. "We can move them to the outskirts with just the three of us."

With that, they got to work. Zuko and Shen dragged a few of the captives along, while Tyro used his earthbending to move the rest. Zuko tried to ignore the prick on his skin from the sharp looks of confusion and hurt directed at him. When they were a little distance north of the port, Tyro brought his arms and legs together, then quickly brought them apart while shifting his stance wider. At that motion, the bindings of earth around each of the captives all split in twain, and they wearily got to their feet. By no means were they in any shape to fight, so Zuko told them what they should do instead.

"Go. You don't want to be here anymore."

They got the message loud and clear — the banished prince is defying the Fire Lord. With a few indiscernible glances back at Zuko, they ambled away, a few supporting the more heavily injured soldiers as they left. The sun submerged below the horizon, and the sky went dark. Shen returned to the village first, mumbling that he needs some rest. Much has happened in the life of the young soldier in such a short amount of time.

"Are you alright?"

And he wasn't the only one. Tyro voiced his concern over the look on the prince's face. Zuko said nothing. Fighting was a matter of course, and he's done a prison break before. But things like this? They were draining beyond belief, on top of it being a long day. It was only now that Tyro really looked at Zuko. It was easy for him to see the prince as a skilled combatant, a leader, an adult. But looking at him now…

"I've been meaning to ask. How did you know that I have a son?"

That snapped Zuko to attention. "Uh, lucky guess?"

"Really?" Tyro raised his eyebrow at that, before chuckling. Zuko released a sigh of relief that, thankfully, Tyro missed in his mirth.

"Yes, well, you guessed right." Tyro shifted from a humorous smile to a more sincere one as he looked at the prince. "His name is Haru. He… He's about your age."

Any internal retort Zuko had prepared along the lines of 'I know' died when he felt the worry and sympathy lacing those words. Seeing the prince now, Tyro couldn't help but think — what if Haru was in Zuko's position? He couldn't imagine his son fighting a war by himself. He couldn't imagine him making decisions over the fates of men. His own people. His own family…

They were just teenagers.

Nothing was said for a minute. Only the whistle of a slight wind reached their ears, audible solely because of the lack of sound from anywhere else. Finally, Tyro broke the silence.

"The road ahead... is a long one," he said, more tenderly than he'd spoken in years.

Zuko looked down at that. In this moment, he was just a small, tired boy. "Yes..."

Tyro put his hands on the boy's shoulder then, drawing Zuko's eyes back up. "Your rebellion has my full support, Zuko."

Zuko's eyes widened. Tyro smiled with approval, before letting go of his shoulder and walking back to the village.

"I'll go tell the others. With any luck, you'll have their support too."

* * *

"Urgggh…"

The warden blearily got to his hands and knees. His eyes pried themselves open to a cold, metal deck. It was already sundown, meaning he'd been unconscious for virtually the whole day. Let it be known that the Dragon of the West could hit pretty hard.

He struggled to stand, but before he could, another arm shot out and hoisted him by his collar, raising him so his feet couldn't even touch the floor.

"_What_. _Happened_."

The snarl that promised violence made the warden quake in the man's grasp. His ship was supposed to be repaired by now, but when he arrived at the rig, the guards were down, the prisoners were gone, and his ship was _trashed_.

"S-Sir, it was Prince Zuko!" The dangerous expression on the man's face urged the warden to go on. "He launched a cowardly surprise attack, and freed the prisoners! He and General Iroh have turned traitor!"

The man seemed to consider this for a moment, before dropping the warden roughly onto his back.

"Oof!"

"Where did they go?"

"I, uh, I don't know, sir…"

The man's fists clenched.

"Uh, w-what will you do now?"

"The Fire Lord will want to hear of this."

Without another word, the man made to leave. The warden called out from the ground to him, fearful about his intentions.

"Y-you wouldn't be reporting back d-directly, would you, captain-"

"Don't worry, warden. I'll make sure to relay your astounding failure straight to him. _Personally_."

The warden started shaking all over again, rooted in place. His eyes went wild in fear. He couldn't see the smirk on the man's face as he turned to address him one final time.

"Oh, and it's _Commander_ Zhao now."


	6. A Familiar Trail

.

**生**

BOOK ONE:

**LIFE**

CHAPTER SIX:

**A FAMILIAR TRAIL**

.

"_My dear Zuko..."_

_Within the heart of the reborn royal,_

_Three pairs of molten gazes he will find._

_Two belong to the crimson and its foil;_

_An azure snake of soul, body and mind._

"_Prince Zuko."_

_A palace of thorns. A prison of ice._

_She awaits, sat upon an empty throne._

_Those fragile eyes are watering with cries._

_As the flames surround what was once their home._

"_**ZUZU!"**_

* * *

Zuko bolted up from his bedroll in a cold sweat. His eyes were wide, and his breath ragged. His right hand clutched at his heart, where the sharp shock of an increasingly familiar phantom pain radiated outward through him. These dreams were plaguing him more and more lately, ever since he took the port town alongside the liberated rig prisoners.

It's been a few days since then. The earthbenders all set off to return to their respective homes, eager to see their families once more. The morning before they split up from the rebels, they seemed to regard Zuko differently. Looks of gratefulness and respect were directed his way. From most of them, anyway.

The lanky Ping even came up to offer his thanks to the prince personally, which Zuko accepted with an awkward smile. He could remember their following conversation clearly.

"Just wait a little while longer, Poi! Daddy's coming home!"

"Wait, you're _Poi's _father?"

"You know my son? Is he okay?!"

Zuko's face had gone from surprised to wincing as the man gripped him with a strength that you wouldn't expect from his skinny form.

"Yeah, he's alright. He… he's very brave."

Catching the double meaning behind those words, Ping sighed in equal parts relief and exasperation as his hands released Zuko's shoulders.

"He's a troublemaker, that's for sure. You kept him safe then?"

At Zuko's nod, Ping gave a sincere smile.

"Thank you. That means more to me than the world."

Zuko couldn't help but feel jealous of Poi in that moment.

The forest floor was dyed in the shades of dawn, and Zuko steadied his breath. As promised, he was escorting Kwang and a few other earthbenders back to their home: a village just a little too far away to be safe for weary ex-prisoners. They had docked the previous evening, having crossed a river to get to this wooded trail. Most of Zuko's auxiliary crew stayed behind with the ship as the rest moved inland.

The journey was fine so far given how short it was, but while most of the prisoners may have changed their minds about Zuko's crew, Kwang was definitely not one of them. From the prison rig till now, the burly man had been abrasive and dismissive toward any of the Fire Nation around him.

"The way you fought on the rig. I've never seen firebending like that."

"It's a... special form. It emphasizes the life-giving aspects of fire."

"Pah, as if fire can give anything but death."

That exchange occurred just the other day, on the ship's deck. The prince himself was more disappointed than annoyed - he wasn't expecting to be liked given how the man had been acting since they met. Shen, on the other hand, glared daggers at him from where he was posted. The young soldier had been uncharacteristically quiet as of late, conflict obviously playing over his features since they escaped the rig.

'Not that I don't get it. We should be done by the end of today, at least.' Zuko thought. 'More importantly…'

The more pressing issue at the moment was how familiar this route felt - it's been gnawing at him since they disembarked. They were on a forested path that could be found all over the western Earth Kingdom. It was verdant, with an abundance of shade. Not an uncommon sight by any means. And yet.

'There's something I'm forgetting about this place. Something important. I'm sure of it.'

"Hmhmm~"

A joyously idle humming brought him out of his thoughts. It could only belong to one person.

"Uncle?"

"Ah, nephew! Finally awake I see!"

The elderly man was fussing with his tea set over a recently restarted bonfire. In other words, typical behaviour for General Iroh. Looking around the camp, Zuko saw that they were the first two to rise, which was often the case. Firebenders rise with the sun after all, and they were the most powerful ones there.

The disheveled prince fought his way out of his bedroll as his uncle continued to speak.

"You were tossing and turning for a while now. I got worried, so I thought I'd make you some fine tea! It is a great remedy for nightmares."

"Tea is your remedy for everything, uncle."

Despite his retort, he couldn't keep the grateful smile off his face as he straightened his clothes out.

"That may be so, but I found a very special flower this morning: a white dragon bush! Can you believe it, Prince Zuko? It's said to produce a tea so delicious, it's heartbreaking."

The smile on Zuko's face shattered into sheer alarm. As Iroh went to pour him a cup, he dashed forward and high kicked the pot out of his uncle's hands, shattering it into oblivion. Iroh's horrified expression formed from behind an explosion of shimmering leaf juice. It was only after he heard the splash that he could finally respond.

"ZUKO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he yelled in anger and confusion. His nephew had just ruined such a delicacy!

"It wasn't the white dragon bush that you found, uncle - it was the white _jade _bush! You were about to serve me a deadly poison!"

"I already thought of that! I have some bacui berries right here, see? Or were they maka'ole-"

Zuko snatched the sprig of berries out of his uncle's hand and set it aflame. The ashes fell through his fingers.

"You're not about to turn me blind, on top of everything."

"How do you know about such things anyway, nephew?"

He fixed his uncle with a tired look.

"How do you think I know?"

Iroh thought for a moment.

"You've developed an interest in rare teas?"

"No."

* * *

It was long into the day before the dense grasses beneath their feet turned into a well-worn dirt path. The makeshift assembly of two different nations had found their way onto the main roads. Or at least, what passes for main roads in a region as remote as this. They were getting close.

"Looks like their spirits are rising so close to home."

Lieutenant Jee addressed Zuko as they walked, and the man was right. Even the less chatty earthbenders were excitedly talking about what they would do, who they would see, and what they would eat when they got home. Even from where the two were walking a good distance behind them, they could overhear yelling and laughter from the former prisoners marching on.

"So they are," the prince replied, his eyes fixed ahead of him.

"Have you given any thought on what to do after we finish this?"

That got the prince's attention. It was a fair question. It would be foolish to expect any sort of reward for this, let alone manpower. Their rebellion was left at the same strength, minus some rations, as when they first began. If anything, they were in a worse position. No doubt the capital would hear of their prison break sooner rather than later.

"We'll have to keep liberating small settlements where we can," Zuko finally replied. "Until the Earth King recognizes us, at least."

"And if he doesn't?"

That was always a risk. They wouldn't be able to sustain themselves without help, not indefinitely. And definitely not with the promised threat of the Fire Lord and his armies rising every passing moment. Unfortunately, there was no other plan.

"We'll just have to hope."

"I was _hoping _you wouldn't say that," Jee sighed. "But I also expected it. Rebellions aren't exactly reliable long-term."

"Sorry I couldn't give you a better answer," Zuko said placatingly.

"But it's the best we've got right now. Let me know our next destination at least, when you have it."

"EVERYONE! I SEE IT!"

The deafening shout from Kwang made both Zuko and Jee jump. Just on the horizon, they could make out the beginnings of roofed houses, wooden fences, and tilled land. To many there, it was what they've been longing to witness for years.

"Ah! I see it too!"

"We're home!"

"WOO!"

And with that began the stampede. All at once, the earthbenders charged forward. Some even used their bending to speed themselves up, leaving the path towards their agrarian paradise a bit of a mess.

"I'll go make sure they don't trample anyone," Jee said before running to catch up with them. He didn't catch the look of recognition that found its way onto the prince's face.

"So, what did you do here before, exactly?"

Iroh walked up beside him then, having been the group's rearguard till now. After their tea incident in the morning, Zuko told his uncle about the last time they visited this place, but didn't have the time to get into the specifics before the rest of the camp woke up.

Zuko debated not saying anything. His time here wasn't exactly his proudest moment, far from it. But he already felt guilty withholding his greatest failure from his uncle. Revealing this minor one would have to do to try and assuage that guilt. So with a completely straight face, he admitted it.

"I stole the village doctor's family ostrich horse."

"You did WHAT?!"

* * *

When Zuko and Iroh arrived at the entrance to the village, they were met with a heartwarming sight. What looked like its entire population had come out to meet the returnees. Families were reunited - hugging, laughing, crying. Some eyed the clearly Fire Nation soldiers with a justified wariness. But whether it was the fact that their loved ones had finally come home, or the fact that their loved ones seemed to not care, their caution was more or less disregarded.

From across the way, Jee looked to Zuko and showed him a rare smile. This was the kind of sight they were fighting for. Zuko himself, though, was keeping his eyes out for a familiar face. It was then that his ears picked up a conversation not far from him, amidst the mass of people.

"So that's the boy who saved you, dear?"

"I'm going to say hi to him."

"Song, wait! He's still a prince of the Fire Nation!"

Zuko went stock still as he absorbed this new information, even as the hanbok clad girl in question approached him.

'Kwang is _Song's dad_?!'

"Hi!"

"Hwuh?"

So out of it was he that he made some embarrassing noise when her face popped up right in front of him.

"Prince Zuko, right? Father told me that you saved him. Saved everyone."

"I _told you_ that he was dangerous."

"Oh hush, dear."

Song's mother and Kwang - _her father_, Zuko reminded himself - soon followed after their overly compassionate daughter. Iroh looked between the girl and his nephew, and that's when he sprouted a mischievous grin. Horrifically, he mistook Zuko's flustering for enamorment.

"Y-yeah, that's m-"

"You've heard correctly! This charming young man is Prince Zuko," he said, slapping him a little too roughly on the back.

"Guh!"

"And I am his equally charming uncle! Who might you be, miss?"

Song giggled at the old man's antics, while her mother smiled. Kwang on the other hand, caught on to what Iroh was trying to do, and glared at the prince with even more murderous intent as if to clearly say _\- don't you DARE try anything_.

"My name is Song, I work at the hospital here. This is my mother," she said, gesturing to the older woman on her right. "And you've already met my father."

"He. Has." Kwang grinded those words through his teeth, still glaring. Zuko adopted an expression that wordlessly replied - _how is this my fault?!_

"It's nice to meet you, Lady Song!"

"Oh please, it's just Song," she replied to the boisterous general. "Welcome to our little farming village, and thank you for saving my father."

She bowed to the Fire Nation royalty then, as did her mother. Kwang only crossed his arms and huffed. Zuko was continually baffled that the burly man was related to these people. They couldn't be more opposed!

When Song rose from her bow, she couldn't help but stare at the angry, red scar adorning the visage of the boy before her. A short silence occurred before Zuko turned his good side to face her.

"You don't have to stare," he said with a little more irritation than he intended, but exactly as much as he felt.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! It's just..."

She took a few steps then, as if to get a closer look. Zuko turned his head even more sharply away.

"So even the prince… You've been hurt, haven't you?"

That made him turn back. Slowly at first, and then fully. How she could say that with such concern, after everything, he had no idea.

Seeing that Zuko still hadn't replied, she continued on. "I've been hurt too."

"Song…"

"It's alright, mother."

Brushing off her mother's worry, she rolled up her dress slightly to show her calves. Revealing her own scars only for a moment, she dropped her shaking hands and hid them once more. Kwang was taken aback, and then quickly turned to rage. To her own surprise, Zuko didn't look surprised at all. He just looked guilty. The depth of his guilt she did not know. She could not know. Still, she reached out her hand to the boy's face.

"Could I-?"

"PRINCE ZUKO! PRINCE ZUKO!"

She quickly retracted it though, when a sudden shouting emerged from the trees nearby. The voices were followed by several haggard men, stumbling out from the bushes. The rest of the group quickly turned to the newcomers as well, and Zuko rushed towards them.

"Helmsman? Chef? What happened?"

They took a moment, clearly out of breath, then the helmsman began his explanation. "Not long after you left, sir, a squad of Fire Nation soldiers followed. It's like they knew we were coming! We've been running all night, but they're not far-"

"LOOK!"

It was a village woman who spotted them: a group of soldiers, around ten in number, nearing the mouth of the settlement. The rest of the villagers started to panic.

"YOU! YOU LED THEM HERE!" Kwang stomped over to the prince, muscles visibly tensing in preparation for combat.

"What?! Why would I save you from prison just to do that?!"

"YOU'VE ALREADY TAKEN SO MUCH FROM US, AND NOW YOU SET YOUR SIGHTS ON THE WHOLE VILLAGE!"

While this confrontation was happening, Zuko's crew looked equally confused. The villagers got behind the newly freed earthbenders, who were now facing down the previously friendly Fire Nation, determined and outraged. The invading soldiers were now in spitting distance, closing in on the disarray. And that's when it happened.

"He didn't call them here, I did. I sent out a messenger hawk to Gaipan the night before we left."

There, standing at the village's entrance, was a young soldier. Jee and Iroh quickly got ready in response, keeping the earthbenders and the villagers behind them as they faced this threat. The rest of Zuko's crew followed suit.

Zuko just stood shocked.

"Shen?"

"Yeah."

Saying that, his reinforcements arrived and formed around him, getting into telltale stances that threatened streams of flame. The villagers cowered, but did not move. They didn't dare move.

"Why?"

"You ask me 'why'?!" Shen turned livid, his fists clenched so tightly that they were turning white. "When you told me that you wanted to change the Fire Nation, I agreed with you. I saw how we were treating innocent people from other nations, and I hated it. But you've gone too far with this! Way too far!"

He inhaled, then exhaled. A necessary breath to take, else he felt he'd attack right then and there.

"You know, I volunteered to be on your ship. To join your crew. It was the only chance I had to serve with the great Dragon of the West. The same man my father served with at the walls of Ba Sing Se. The man my father died for. Even if in exile, that's all I wanted."

It was becoming clear to Zuko now.

"_...I lost my parents to this war. That's why I'm here."_

"In the end, we spent a year doing nothing but kicking over rocks, hunting a ghost. I accepted that. But I've just spent the past week watching you fight against _our _people, and for what? For men like him?!" He shot a finger at Kwang. "Men who would rather see us all dead?! The same kind of man who killed my father! And who knows how many others!"

Song looked at her father mortified, seeking an answer. He just looked away from her innocent eyes - he could do nothing to deny that claim. It was how he felt, after all. And who could blame him after everything he's been through?

"Disgraced or not, you're supposed to be _OUR _prince, DAMMIT!"

Shen's anger rose and rose, until finally, it burst. With that final word shouted, a wave of fire erupted from his stamping foot. Inadvertent or not, it elicited shrieks from the villagers, and even higher alert from all combatants. Jee called out to the soldier then.

"Do you really think you can win, boy?"

On one side, were two hands worth of regular Fire Nation soldiers. On the other was a combined force of earthbenders, firebenders, and the Dragon of the West. It was as one-sided as it could be. Shen knew that, but even so.

"I couldn't just do nothing."

A tense moment passed, both sides looking at each other for any sign of movement. Any twitch at all that could spark the imminent clash. Zuko though, was still standing in the open, and that was a chance he could seize.

But in the prince's eyes, Shen didn't see fear, or anger, or malice.

Only regret, pity, and strangest of all, understanding.

It _infuriated _him.

"**ZUKO! I CHALLENGE YOU TO AGNI KAI!"**


End file.
